Untitled
by Incandescent-Lies
Summary: Summer holidays are usually a boring affair for Naruto Uzumaki until a dark haired, ill tempered boy moves into the neigbourhood. Despite his bad manners and off handed insults, Naruto just can't get his mind off of Sasuke Uchiha. Oneshot.


Notes: Hey everyone, it's been a few years but I'm back after finishing Uni. Meant to do this one a few years back for a friend, better late than never eh?

Disclaimer: Don't own them, never will. That sucks.

Warnings: AU/ SasukeXNaruto/ not so subtle yaoi and probably bad language.

Untitled

"That's a two, you miss a turn."

"What? That doesn't make sense!"

Naruto pointed down at the two of diamonds he had just laid down on top of Sakura's card and tapped it with his index finger, the action supposedly making his point stronger. He fanned out his remaining hand of cards in front of his face and examined them closely to decide what his next move should be; maybe the four of hearts or even the joker? Both would have probably been a good choice if only he could remember what they did and the rules to his own made up game.

With a dejected sigh Sakura tucked a loose strand of pink dyed hair behind her ear. Her cards weren't that good, or so she thought; she couldn't be too sure with a game that Naruto made up, the rules just didn't make sense and seemed to change after every new hand. She would have bet money on the idiot making it up as he went along due to the fact that every card was in his favour.

"So a two is miss a turn and so is a five?" Sakura questioned, "Last round the King was pick up a new card but this time it's discard four cards you don't want? I can't keep up!" She leant back against the banister of Naruto's front porch—the same place they spent most of their summer afternoons lately. It seemed like the best place really; it was too hot to go out and do anything energetic but too nice to waste a day spent inside. And with that analogy, they were left in the blond's driveway playing card games—it could have been worse.

Naruto sunk down to sit on the lowest step and sprawled his legs out in front of him, the extra effort under the early afternoon sun being almost too much. His new position left Sakura in line of sight to his cards which would have worked in her favour if they were playing any other game; unfortunately for her, the rules would change again by the next round.

It was the third week of summer holidays and so far they had past uneventfully, much to Naruto's disappointment. Most of his friends were off on vacation with family or too busy to do anything so that left him and Sakura with not much entertainment in their small town. It wasn't all bad though, the spirited pink haired girl truly was Naruto's best friend and was kind enough, or perhaps bored enough to humour the blond boy.

Silence stretched between them as their card game went forgotten and all attention was given to the cloudless sky. Naruto sipped at his glass of water while Sakura flicked at her shoe laces, her own drink long gone. Weren't summer holidays supposed to be full of fun and excitement? Interesting experiences, seeing new places and doing things you probably shouldn't? There were only a few weeks left before they would be going into their final year at school and so far the most interesting thing to happen was Neji breaking up with Tenten for Gaara. On second thought, that was pretty interesting...

"Hey," Sakura almost whispered, tapping lightly on Naruto's head with the tip of her shoe as she pointed to the end of the street. She continued when the blond turned to look at her. "It looks like someone has finally bought the house across the street."

Both teens stared at the moving van, their eyes alight with interest as they followed it's path until it stopped in the driveway opposite. The engine cut but no one appeared to be getting out.

"I bet it's an old couple or a paedophile." Naruto exclaimed. "That would be my luck I suppose—having a paedophile across the street when I'm such fine jail bait!"

Sakura snorted a laugh and kicked him lightly in the shoulder. He could be so inappropriate and embarrassing sometimes!

"That's a horrible thing to say!" She replied as she propped herself up slightly higher on the banister to get a better look across the street. This was definitely the most exciting thing to happen since Neji and Gaara! No one new ever seemed to move into their small town!

The driver's side door of the van was pushed open but no one emerged immediately. Seconds turned to minutes and the two teens were beginning to lose interest. Maybe the people in the van were ninjas who had come to destroy Konoha at the whim of revenge, Naruto thought... and just maybe they were in there now going over their plan. It was a very likely possibility in his books, he had seen movies where something similar had happened but without the modern van. Ridiculous thoughts aside, the blond and his friend's attentions were caught once more as a tall dark haired male stepped out. Everything about his appearance was pretty unnerving, even from across the street. Naruto swore he could even see dark nail polish matching his jet black clothes and long obsidian hair.

"See, I told you, most definitely a pae-"

Before the blond could finish his sentence the passenger door opened and another person stepped out who was very similar in appearance to the tall man. Despite a difference in height and hair length, there was very little separating the two as far as appearances were concerned.

With absolutely no regard for volume, Naruto couldn't help but voice his thoughts.

"Aha! See, he has a child with him. Paedophile!"

Sakura took the liberty of hitting Naruto again, this time for being a bit too loud with his assumptions. The taller of the dark haired males looked over momentarily then turned away back to the van. Sakura let out a small sigh of relief.

"You could be a bit quieter you know. Don't want the whole street to hear!" She leant forward closer to her friend before continuing. "Anyway, that 'child' looks our age and they looked related you idiot."

Neither of the teens seemed to notice when a car pulled up in Naruto's drive way, they were far too interested in watching the two raven haired strangers move boxes into the empty house. The cars door opened then slammed shut with more force than necessary but it at least got their attention.

"Have you two been sitting here all day again?" the newcomer asked. He shuffled around a bag of groceries from one arm to the other while trying to fish his keys from his pocket. "Little help please."

"Ah! Sorry Iruka, I'll get the door." Naruto pushed himself up to his feet and held the door open for his guardian leaving room for him to pass. Sakura followed in afterwards proclaiming she'd be more than happy to make lunch for them all. No one protested as she really was a better cook than both of them put together! Without her skills, the Uzumaki/Umino household would be eating ramen every night; not that the blond minded.

Naruto took one last look at his new neighbours across the street and his gaze strayed over to the smaller of the two males unconsciously. His back was turned and he seemed to be looking for particular boxes from the back of the van. Once it seemed he found one he wanted the boy spun around, his eyes finding focus on the blond across the street and all at once Naruto was _lost. _Any semblance of rational thought left his fair head as he found himself staring into a cold onyx glare ablaze in cool flame... The boy had eyes with such an enigmatic and terrifying quality it sent a chill running down Naruto's spine, set his nerves on fire and pushed his heart a beat faster. He couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't even think straight for what seemed like an eternity in that moment.

Hesitation swept over the blond as he swallowed a lump that seemed to form in the back of his throat, and after a pause, he tore his eyes away before retreating into the house to find Sakura.

0o0o0o0

It was Saturday, Naruto liked Saturday. Even though he had to work in a music store for most of it he enjoyed having something to do; a purpose to his day. The job wasn't too bad either, he got to sit back, relax and listen to music over the stores loud speakers. Today was slow though, it had been five hours and barely a soul had come in. Perhaps it was the nice weather, maybe people were at the beach and spending their summer the way he should have been spending his.

Resigning himself to boredom, Naruto began lightly drumming his fingers on the counter top in rhythm with the current song playing and bopped his head to the solid beat. He did so throughout the next song and the one after that until—

_THUD!_

The blond looked up towards the door but whoever entered had already disappeared down the first isle of music. And just like that...Naruto was bored again. He leant back further in his chair obscuring his view behind the counter, rested his feet atop it and began to day-dream. Before long his thoughts wondered over what Sakura was up to on such a bright and sunny Saturday. She had mentioned going into town with her two friends, Ino and Hinata, to go shopping and at that thought, Naruto was glad he was stuck at work. And speaking of work, only an hour left and he'd be able to go home!

The clock ticked to the half past mark and a pale hand dropped a CD onto the counter in his peripheral vision; Naruto realized he had a customer to attend to.

"Ah sorry!" the blond apologized and rose from his seat with his biggest cheery smile.

The customer didn't seem to notice as he rifled around his bag looking for something. He wore a big set of headphones which Naruto could hear some heavy metal blaring from. Undeterred, the blond picked up the CD and scanned it's barcode before looking up to mention the items price.

"That comes to...uh..." words escaped him as his gaze met the same onyx glare from a few days previous. The dark haired male held out a hand with the correct amount of money and a sullen expression which left little room for conversation. After a moment to collect his thoughts Naruto took the change and gave the boy his receipt who immediately left after the exchange.

And just like that, the confused blond was left distracted until his shift was over an hour later and he was stood in line at a popular coffee shop for his favourite drink. He ordered a sweet vanilla concoction and a coffee to go; the coffee being for Iruka when he got home. After receiving his drinks Naruto turned to leave but not before noticing the same surly looking raven haired boy from earlier. He looked as though he were getting ready to leave; picking up his bag and slinging it over his shoulder with a drink in his other hand. The boy left and Naruto felt the sudden urge to catch up with him and say hi.

Falling into step beside the stranger with a cheerful grin, he attempted to break the ice.

"Hi." He had planned on something more elaborate...something that included his name and clever line but something about the boy at his side seemed to put him on edge and leave him lost for words.

It took a moment for the raven haired teen to stop in his tracks and turn towards his unwelcome blond companion. After a sip of his drink he nudged his headphones down a fraction with an incline of the head.

"Do I know you?" the boy asked with very little interest.

Naruto wasn't really sure what to say to that. And what was with this kid's attitude? Did really take too much effort to smile and say hi? Apparently it did. The blond rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish smile and an apologetic expression.

"Sorry," Naruto started, almost struggling to find the right words. "I saw you move in across the street a few days ago and just thought I'd say hi and welcome you to the neighbourhood."

Another moment passed in silence before the raven replied.

"You're that moron who was watching me right?" he spoke in a low tone with a raised brow and straight set lips. The boy looked all together as cold as his words. Naruto was somewhat taken back by the harshness of this stranger but tried to keep his cool.

"Yeah I suppose I am. Anyway, I'm Uzumaki Naruto, welcome to the neighbourhood." He extended a hand but received none in return. Instead, the boy took another sip of his drink, pulled his headphones back on and turned to walk away. Naruto could feel his temper beginning to flare.

"HEY BASTARD!"

The dark haired teen stopped and turned around again to face him with a look of total disregard and an air of arrogance which really got on the blonds nerves. How could someone be so rude and egotistical? Naruto wasn't entirely sure how to continue after his own outburst; he took a bold step closer to the other male and made eye contact being sure to give a hard glare in return.

"I'm trying to be nice and that's all you have to say?" He made large exaggerated motions with his hands to explain his point and waited for some kind of answer though he really shouldn't have. The dark haired boy gave no reply and instead, walked away in the opposite direction. Naruto was left feeling furious and immediately pulled out his phone to call Sakura and rage about what had just happened.

0o0o0o0

It was raining. It was the fourth week of summer holidays and it was freaking raining! That left Naruto with even less to do. In fact, he was so bored that he had taken to planting his face on the kitchen table and counting the number of raindrops he heard as they hit the window. He would have been hanging out with Sakura but she had left the day before to go on holiday with her parents; something she resented greatly as it was sure to be boring.

Naruto heard the front door open and close quietly in the other room. He didn't bother to look up as Iruka entered the kitchen and began shuffling around, putting things in cupboards and taking things out of others. He continued this for a while before pulling out some pots and pans which immediately sparked the blond's interest. Neither of them brought out anything but instant ramen unless Sakura was around and this unusual behaviour struck Naruto's interest. He sat up in his chair and watched with quizzical eyes.

"What's going on? You're cooking?" he asked with a quirked eye brow. Peculiar behaviour indeed!

Iruka flicked the switch on the kettle and leant back against the counter to face the blond. He folded his arms over his chest and wore a warm smile while answering the questions.

"We have company this evening, thought I'd do something nice."

Leaning further forward on his chair, Naruto's eyes lit up with interest and a bright smile took to his lips.

"Company? We never have anyone but Sakura around, who would come here?" His curiosity began to make him impatient while he waited for his guardian to answer.

Iruka pulled out a few cups from the cupboard after the kettle had boiled and made a coffee for himself and a hot chocolate for Naruto. He placed the hot drink in front of the fidgeting blond and pointed out the window to the house across the street.

"The two new neighbours are coming over, I invited them earlier when I ran into the older one in town." He took a sip of his coffee and sat in the chair opposite Naruto. "His name is Itachi and his younger brother is Sasuke. I thought it would be a nice way to welcome them to the neighbourhood."

In an instant, the teen's expression turned sour. The guy from across the street? The arrogant raven haired bastard who had called him a moron and made him rage for days? He was coming over with his brother for dinner? Naruto slumped in his chair and dropped his face back onto the table with a groan of annoyance just thinking about him.

The brunette examined the sullen teen while drinking his coffee and tried to figure out what would irritate him this much. After a few moments of silence, he had to ask.

"What's got you so riled up? You were so smiley before."

Naruto shrugged his shoulders and chose not to answer. He could see Iruka was happy about having some company and the blond didn't want to burst his bubble by expressing his new found hatred for the younger of the two brothers. After sucking in a breath, he put on his most cheerful smile and looked up to reassure Iruka everything was fine.

"I'm ok, just miss Sakura." He didn't elaborate anymore than that before leaving the kitchen to go and sulk in his room. He couldn't have been moping for more than half an hour before he heard a knock on the door downstairs. Naruto was left wondering if his presence would be missed if he jumped out the window and made a run for it but after careful consideration of the drop, he changed his mind. There really wasn't any other option than to grace the others with his company.

"NARUTO!" Iruka called from the kitchen and that was his cue...

With a deep breath and a fixed grin, the blond descended the stairs to embrace the evening of awkward conversations and undoubtedly cold glares.

"Yeah, Naruto goes there too. I'm sure you'll like it, Sasuke." The brunette was pouring drinks into glasses when the fair haired teen slumped into his seat opposite their guests. He gave Naruto a warning look to be on good behaviour which seemed to go unnoticed before returning to the conversation he was having.

"It's really not far," Iruka continued, apparently discussing the local school with the younger of the two brothers. "Naruto walks it in about fifteen minutes, you should walk with him when the holidays are over."

The blond flinched at the mention of his name and at the preposterous suggestion. Walk with that bastard to school? No way! He'd rather walk with Gaara and Neji and be subjected to their constant make out sessions on the way. He'd even prefer to walk with Ino and Sakura at the same time and listen to their bitching...and that really was a last resort kind of thing.

Naruto chanced a glance at Sasuke for the first time since he arrived downstairs. To his surprise, the raven haired boy wasn't glaring at him and instead had an expression of indifference, or perhaps that was just his good behaviour poker face; similar to Naruto's own over-zealous grin.

The cheery and consistent chatter between Iruka and Itachi started up and began to sink into the background as the blond drifted into his own thoughts. Maybe Sasuke wasn't so bad once you got to know him, after all, he wasn't going out of his way to make Naruto uncomfortable at that moment and wasn't glaring or insulting him in any way. Perhaps the boy was just having a bad day the last time they met and the blond was caught on the unfortunate other end of his bad temper. Naruto could understand that as his own mood swings could be something to behold.

"Hey, moron..."

Cerulean blue eyes began to re-focus in on the person sitting opposite and the fair haired boy all at once realized that he was staring at Sasuke and had been called a moron. Scrap any potential redeeming thoughts Naruto had just had, that boy really was a piece of work.

"What, bastard?" he retorted and was glad that Iruka was deep in conversation or he really would have been scolded for that.

"You're staring, it's creepy." Sasuke replied while swirling his drink in it's glass.

Naruto didn't have much to say to that; he was staring and it was probably a bit creepy.

Dinner passed uneventfully for the most part, both teens keeping quiet unless spoken too and exchanging glares any time their gazes met. Both Iruka and Itachi seemed to have plenty to talk about and the conversation flowed endlessly between them. As for the food, Naruto thought his guardian was holding out on him. He could actually cook! Or maybe he had picked up tips from Sakura over the years. Either way, Naruto would be demanding more than cup ramen in the coming weeks.

It was heading towards late evening when the two older males disappeared into the next room with coffee talking about—well, Naruto found it all quite boring so he gave up listening. That left him alone in the kitchen with the object of his current annoyance. The raven haired boy was glaring out of the window while the blond stared off towards the door, neither one knowing what to say or even bothering to try. The room was silent save for the quiet ticking of the clock on the far wall and the drumming of Naruto's fingers on the table. He fidgeted in his seat to try and find a more comfortable position but every time he tried the other boy's eyebrow would seem to twitch in irritation. The blond moved again, Sasuke's eyebrow twitched again.

Naruto smirked and let out a chuckle. "Is it really that annoying?" he asked.

"Yes, it really is that annoying. Everything about you is annoying." Sasuke didn't spare a glance in his direction while he spoke, he instead chose to direct his gaze towards the darkening sky.

A frown took to the blond's features and he fixed a glare at the other boy with his own annoyance.

"What the hell is your problem? I've done nothing but try and be nice to you since you got here and all you do is insult me and act like a dick!" Naruto leant forward and slammed his fist onto the table to get the other's attention. It worked as Sasuke tore his eyes from the window and locked onto the fair teens enraged expression. After a few silent moments he replied.

"Something about you just gets under my skin like nothing else does. Your face, your smile, the things you say and the way you say it. You're so happy without a care! It grates at me."

Naruto stumbled to find a reply as the words sunk in but was lost for any response. What could he say to that? He wasn't even entirely sure what it all meant. To his knowledge, all he had done was try to be nice and welcoming. Before he could find anything to say, Sasuke chose to add more.

"People like you piss me off, smiling like everything is fine all the time. And for you it probably is right? You live with your dad and have-"

Naruto stood with such force that his chair fell back and crashed to the floor behind him. He leant across the table at eye level with Sasuke and stopped him mid sentence.

"Don't assume you know everything about me," his voice was laced with anger while his eyes darkened with disdain and irritation. "We don't all force our misery onto others." Naruto pushed away from the table and slammed the kitchen door shut before stomping up the stairs to his room. He locked the door behind him and refused to open it when Iruka pleaded for him to talk about what happened. The last thing Naruto remembered hearing was the front door closing before he fell asleep.

0o0o0o0

It was almost four in the afternoon and Naruto had finally finished work. It was a pretty slow day probably due to the large amounts of rain and the promise of thunder storms later that evening. He didn't mind the rain, it was the best thinking weather in his opinion and he had plenty he wanted to think about. At least, he would have had plenty to think about if he could only stop thinking about a particularly annoying and rude dark haired boy. Naruto's eyes narrowed at the mere thought of Sasuke. That kid had issues, that was for sure.

Dragging his now very wet shoes through the rain covered streets, the blond made his way to the small coffee shop on the corner to get his usual vanilla drink and Iruka's super strong coffee. It was pretty busy inside despite the almost torrential downpour; perhaps everyone was waiting for it die down before they left. Not a bad idea, Naruto thought, as he spotted an empty table near the back.

The blond stepped up to the counter with money in hand ready make his usual order.

"Hi, can I have—" he stopped talking as the worker placed his usual tall vanilla drink and dark coffee onto the counter.

"Here, it's already been paid for, courtesy of that guy of there." The pretty girl pointed to the dark haired boy slinging his bag over his shoulder as he was leaving. Naruto immediately recognized him as being Sasuke.

"Uh...thanks." The blond mumbled as he took his drinks and made his way back out into the rain. He would have stayed for a while longer but the unusual gesture made by the raven haired teen just struck Naruto's interest and he had to find out what the hell it meant. Was it an apology? A truce? A random act of kindess? He doubted the last one quite highly.

The walk home wasn't long but it was very, very wet. Naruto dropped off Iruka's coffee in the kitchen and dropped his bag onto one of the chairs before rushing back out of the door and across the street. Sasuke had to have only just gotten home too and he just had to ask what the drink was for. After two loud knocks on the front door, Naruto waited for an answer while sipping at the remainder of his vanilla drink. A few minutes and another loud knock later, the front door opened and an irate Sasuke stood in it's wake. His clothes were dry but his hair was still dripping with rain; he must have gotten changed when he got home, unlike Naruto who was quite thoroughly drenched.

"Hey," the blond started, "thanks for the drink, is this your idea of saying sorry?"

Sasuke leant against the door frame with the faintest hints of a smirk.

"I suppose it is. I promised Itachi I'd redeem myself." He laughed to himself and Naruto couldn't help but smile a little at the unfamiliar sound from the other boy. "Don't look to much into it." He finished, a cold expression returning to his dark features.

The blond turned away and lowered to sit on the highest step of Sasuke's front porch, drink still in hand and a wry smile on his lips. The cover of the awning above only just manage to keep the rain from hitting him, not that we would have minded if it did. He was so wet already it wouldn't have made a difference. Naruto propped his chin on an upturned hand with his arms resting on his knees and patted the space beside him; surprise struck him when Sasuke sat without complaint.

"Lets start over." The blond suggested. He turned to the other boy with a genuine smile and extended his free hand towards him. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki. I live across the street with my Guardian, Iruka Umino. I go to Konoha highschool, I love ramen, my best friend is a girl called Sakura and I really like ramen." He waited for Sasuke to take his hand and shake it but was disappointed when he didn't. However, he was rewarded with a reply he didn't expect.

"I'm Sasuke Uchiha. I live with my older brother Itachi. I'll be going to Konoha highschool and I don't really like ramen."

Naruto laughed at the last part and nodded to show his acknowledgement. He was suddenly so full of questions for the other boy he didn't know what to ask first or even if it would be ok to ask them. Luckily, Sasuke's own curiosity started up that line of conversation for him.

"Iruka is your guardian? You don't live with your parents?"

The blond shook his head and replied. "They died when I was so young I don't remember them." He smiled despite the tone of the topic. "Iruka's great though, he was a friend of my dad's. He took me in right away and we've been together ever since."

Sasuke couldn't find anything to say so he chose to remain silent and allow the other boy to continue talking.

"My friend, Sakura, she usually comes round and cooks us lots of crazy things. I guess she's kind of like my illegitimate mother." He chuckled to himself and turned to the dark haired teen to offer another of his genuine smiles. "She goes to Konoha high too, be warned, she thinks you're cute."

A look of concern cast over Sasuke's face which caused Naruto to laugh again.

"Don't worry, I'll keep her away, promise."

Silence then stretched between the two males, neither one having anything more to add. Surprisingly to both boys, the silence wasn't awkward, nor was it uncomfortable; it was as simple as nothing needed to be said to fill the space.

Minutes ticked by unnoticed and before either knew it, half an hour had passed. Iruka's car pulled into the drive across the street signalling the five O'clock mark. He noticed the unusual scene on the porch opposite and gave a short wave to Naruto and Sasuke who both waved back. The slight interactive seemed to break the boys from their separate reveries and life returned to the pale haired teen. He stretched his arms out before him and yawned before turning to face Sasuke. His dark bangs obscured his face from Naruto's view and the blond couldn't help himself. He reached out and gently pushed away a few of the stray strands to get a better look at his new ...friends? face. Sasuke flinched away instantly at the touch. This didn't seem to bother the blond, in fact, he expected it.

"I better get back to see Iruka." Naruto noted. He pushed himself up to his feet and turned to look down at the other boy with a questioning expression. "If you have nothing better to do, want to come too?" the blond noticed the latent hope laced into his own voice and immediately discarded it. It was so unlike him.

Sasuke took a moment before shaking his head and rising to his feet also.

"Itachi will be back soon, I'll wait for him."

Naruto just nodded and headed out into the rain to cross the street.

"Okay, see you around, Sasuke."

0o0o0o0

"Took your time, moron."

It took Naruto a moment to realize it was indeed he whom was being addressed as a moron. He cast a glance back over his shoulder to see Sasuke sitting on the bench opposite the music store with a couple of drinks beside him. Was he waiting for him? The raven haired teen wore a vague smirk which in the blonds opinion, negated any of the malice behind the insult. Naruto turned away from his work place and crossed the short distance over to the bench.

"I finish work at four, sor-ry I'm a little late. I didn't expect anyone to be waiting for me." He stood in front of the other boy and peered down at him with a cocked brow. What was with this? First buying him a drink the other day and now waiting for him after work? What a total personality flip.

Sasuke looked a little put off at the idea of waiting for the blond specifically. It was far too...friendly. So he felt the need to rectify the other's assumption.

"I was on my way home and thought I might as well wait a few minutes for you to come out." Yeah, that was general enough, it would do.

He handed a very familiar vanilla drink to the blond and got up from the bench. Slinging his bag over one shoulder, he took up his own drink and began walking in the direction of home. Slightly dumbfounded by all the acts of kindness, Naruto accepted the drink and followed silently beside the other teen. It wasn't until they were almost home that either one of them said a word.

"Want to come over, maybe watch some TV or something?" he tried not to sound too hopeful and made an effort not to look directly at Sasuke while waiting for an answer.

"Hm, yeah sure. Got nothing else to do." The dark haired boy avoided eye contact as they both veered off towards Naruto's side of the street. He wasn't really used to this—friendship was it? Sasuke wasn't entirely sure but it wasn't as much of a nuisance as he originally thought. Besides, he promised Itachi that he'd make the effort to make a new start since they arrived.

Naruto lead the other boy into his house and directed him to the TV. They both dropped their bags onto the floor before slumping onto the couch and channel flipping. It didn't take long for either to realize that afternoon television wasn't that exciting and the sound of it slowly slipped into the background as the blond started talking.

"Looking forward to starting school next week?" Naruto asked with genuine interest. He knew nothing about school was something to look forward to in most teens books, but at least it would give them something to do. The summer holidays were great but after a while, he really tended to get bored.

Sasuke shrugged his shoulders and took a while before supplying a verbal reply, even if it wasn't much of one.

"Not really."

Naruto waited for some elaboration on the simple answer but received none. On second thought, was he really expecting anything more from Sasuke? He was a boy of few words after all. He should just be pleased they weren't abusive.

They both slipped into silence once more and Naruto took the chance to unconsciously examine the other male. He took in everything about him, from his stern obsidian eyes to the way the soft light of the TV made his hair appear to have an almost blue tint. He noted the pale complexion of his skin, the length and darkness of his eye lashes and the muscle deformation of his arms that left the blond wondering if everything about Sasuke shared the same tone. Naruto shook his head clear of that train of thoughts the moment he realized he was on it. As a passing opinion, Sasuke wasn't too bad to look at, he could agree with Sakura on that. As far as personality was concerned, Naruto felt the other boy's odd sense of social interactive was growing on him. It was refreshing at least.

"Naruto."

"Hm?" The blond's eyes fluttered a few times as he realized Sasuke was staring directly at him. All at once Naruto noted that he must have been staring at the other teen for quite some time as the program on TV had changed to the next one. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand and put on his cheery smile to put the dark haired male at ease.

"Sorry, zoned out for a bit there, did I miss anything?"

Sasuke shook his head and directed his gaze back towards the TV.

"Not really, I'm not too sure what happened either, I zoned out too."

The front door creaked opened and both boys could hear Iruka struggling to bring things in from the car. Naruto got up to help and even Sasuke offered his assistance. The younger Uchiha brother's presence came as a bit of a shock to Iruka at first but he was glad that he and Naruto appeared to have resolved their differences. Besides, it could be nice for the blond to have another close friend as he only really did anything with Sakura.

Once everything was in, Iruka offered to make dinner for them both, a welcome change to ramen, Naruto thought.

0o0o0o0

The last week of summer holidays was pretty fun in Naruto's honest opinion. He and Sasuke spent a lot more time together than either of them had expected and it really made up for the first few weeks of a dull, listless school break. The two boys had spent most of the last week hanging around town after Naruto finished work; Sasuke would be waiting on the bench every day without fail. They would often end up in front of Naruto's TV until late evening where they would watch shows they cared nothing for but made fun of for their own entertainment. When Sakura had arrived home from her holiday with her parents, she had dragged both boys for a day at the beach with herself, Hinata and Ino. Unfortunately for Sasuke, both Sakura and Ino seemed to have an unspoken rivalry to win his attention. At first, that had made Naruto really laugh, the annoyance on the dark haired teens face was hilarious. However towards the end of the day, the blond had grown irritated by the girl's catty talk and flirtatious attempts directed at his newest friend. He wasn't jealous of the attention they were giving Sasuke, in fact, it was almost the opposite. He wanted more of Sasuke's attention for reasons his subconscious chose not to clarify.

The first day of school went without a hitch. Sasuke ending up being in most of Naruto and Sakura's classes; he was grateful to have the blond there to keep the pink haired girl at bay. She was perfectly nice but tended to be over obvious with her attraction to the dark haired boy and it really started to get on Sasuke's nerves. Ino was almost as bad...almost.

At the end of the school day, Naruto was waiting for his new friend outside of the only class they didn't have together; he didn't have to wait long and the walk home went by all too quickly. The blond had asked if Sasuke wanted to come over to watch some TV like they had been doing all week before, but to his surprise, the dark haired boy made another suggestion. And that is how they ended up in the Uchiha household in Sasuke's room.

"Sorry about Sakura, she can come on a little strong I guess." Naruto apologized for his 'illegitimate mother' and her over the top behaviour. She wasn't usually that bad when she liked someone, but Sasuke seemed to have struck a chord with the girl.

The raven haired boy shook his head. "It's not your fault, no need to apologize."

The two boys sat slouched at opposite ends of the bed, both facing towards the large array of band posters that lined the back wall of Sasuke's bedroom. It was what Naruto had expected to be honest; a monochrome room full of band memorabilia, CD's, fairly neat (unlike his own room) and every bit a reflection of the boy himself.

Sipping at the hot chocolate Sasuke had made for him, the blond leant back further into the lush cushions of his friend's bed. He could get used to this, he thought. The younger Uchiha had a double bed in his room which Naruto was greatly envious of. He had a single bed in his room, it was comfortable but nothing like the plush dreaminess of this. If he got any more comfortable he was sure he would fall asleep.

The lyrics of some song drifted quietly into the background from Sasuke's stereo. He had put it on immediately after they had arrived back; a habit Naruto expected of the raven haired boy. He didn't recognize the band but he enjoyed it's sound, it was pretty laid back and ironically, nothing like Sasuke at all.

Naruto placed his cup on the table but hesitated as he noticed a photo turned away at a slight angle. It was the only picture in the room which seemed personal; an actual memory that Sasuke had chosen to display for his own reasons. At closer examination the blond recognized a younger version of both Uchiha brothers stood in front of what he could only assume were their parents. It was strange; they each wore a smile which looked genuine, an expression which Naruto had yet to see from his dark haired friend. Where were they now? Why was Sasuke living with only his brother?

With a gentle sigh, the blond laid back sideways on the bed; his head almost touching his friend's lap. Folding his arms behind his head, he gazed up at Sasuke with an unusually sullen expression. He wasn't sure if he should ask, didn't know if the question would upset the surly male or even if he would supply an answer. But Naruto wanted to know; he wanted to know everything about Sasuke, the good, the bad, the highs and the lows. And his curiosity _always_ got the better of him.

"What happened to your parents?" Ocean blue eyes fixated with concern locked onto guarded obsidian hues. Sasuke looked taken back, the unexpected question shocking him momentarily. It was so sudden and asked with more caution than the raven thought Naruto capable of.

His head dropped a little down, dark bangs sweeping forward to shield his face from the quizzical tanned teen. He wasn't really sure what to say; didn't know how to answer a question which felt so raw to him in that moment. But Naruto didn't persist, he waited with patience and didn't push for an answer; for that Sasuke was grateful. The silence stretched one for a few minutes before any more was said.

" Two years ago," the pale teen begun; his voice strained for the first time with emotion and a naive vulnerability that struck at the blond's heart. It was unfamiliar and entirely wholesome at the same time despite the macabre direction Naruto was sure this short tale would take. He listened—wanted to hear more and all the while felt the urge to reach out and embrace Sasuke without even hearing what he was sure the other would say.

Taking in a short breath, the onyx eyed male drew his legs closer to his body in an unconscious action of self comfort. He wrapped his arms around his knees and fixed his line of sight downwards and at nothing in particular. He took his time to elaborate any further but at length, he did.

"Two years ago, our parents went on vacation without us for the first time. Itachi got a phone call; it was pretty bad... they had been in an accident and their wounds were fatal. They never came back." Sasuke's body tensed and his face strained with the same emotion which laced his voice. He didn't have anything more to say on the matter. It was as simple as that—they were gone and they weren't coming back.

Naruto sat up and crossed his legs to face the other teen, his soft face alight with apologetic eyes. He wasn't sure if he should comfort Sasuke: didn't know if he would accept a sympathetic hug or even appreciate one. Being the socially inept soul he was, the blond chose to do neither.

"I can't say I understand your loss as I never knew my parents. I don't what it's like to have an entire family there one moment and then ripped away from you the next." Naruto leant slightly forward causing his knee to graze the other boy's thigh; he could feel the faint tremble and see subtle moistness on Sasuke's cheeks. It was so out of character- entirely vulnerable and the blond felt a sadistic desire to experience more of this from the other. He couldn't explain it, didn't want to and he pushed for more.

"Cry if it helps. It's ok to cry." Naruto brushed the dark bangs aside to get a better view of Sasuke's face and was a little surprised when the boy didn't flinch away, in fact, he didn't react at all. Any traces of upset were gone as if forgotten, pushed aside and locked away with the rest of his suppressed emotion. But the blond could still feel his vulnerability and it was unexplainably appealing.

The tan hand rested softly against the dampness of a slightly flush yet pale cheek and before Naruto was aware of his own actions, he was on his knees leaning across Sasuke's body. The weight of his chest pushed down so gently on the dark haired boy and their eyes levelled but neither made a move to pull away or question what was happening. He didn't know what he was doing, it didn't add up in his blond head and before he could even address his own actions it was too late. He couldn't take this back.

Sasuke's lips were deliciously soft and slightly chapped, his chest was as hard- as toned as his arms and his hair was slick when it brushed against his skin. The dark haired boy's back pressed harder into the pillows when Naruto couldn't help but push harder against him. It took the blond a moment of recognition to realize that the lips he kissed were unresponsive. Azure eyes fluttered open in shock to lock onto onyx orbs wide in astonishment. Their lips parted but their bodies remained flush against each other while they both assessed the situation. What had just happened? Naruto's face turned bright red as it all sunk in. Where the hell did that come from? He pushed away from Sasuke, his kiss swollen lips and his slightly dishevelled disposition while the realization sunk in: he wanted to do it all over again.

Sasuke rose a hand to his face, eyes still wide with shock and at a loss for words. He stared at the blond in disbelief. Did that really just happen? He could feel the heat in his cheeks, the ridged set of his body and his nerves on fire which registered in his mind as being from the suddenness of Naruto's actions. He didn't know what to feel, what to think. Did he really just experience his first kiss with his friend?—with a boy?

Naruto backed up and off of the bed with horror evident in his own expression. This was completely bizarre, dream like! It couldn't have happened; or at least that is what he wanted to tell himself. He rose a hand to his own lips and shook his head in disbelief. He couldn't take this back.

"I'm so sorry." Was the last thing he said before he grabbed his bag and left a very bewildered looking Sasuke alone in his room.

0o0o0o0

Naruto had expected the next few days to pass by in awkwardness and it probably would have if Sasuke wasn't avoiding him. They sat at opposite ends of the room in the classes they shared and neither waited for the other after school. The blond's friends had asked what had happened and he would give a lie in response; anything that sounded better than "I kissed him." What a disaster.

Both Sakura and Ino had tried to pry more from Sasuke himself but he didn't bother to supply his own answer, nor did he put in the effort to even acknowledge the two girls. Without Naruto there to fill in the blanks, the dark haired boy really had no interest in either of them.

He wasn't sure why he half expected Sasuke to be waiting for him after work every day that week, but every time he saw the empty bench his chest would constrict. Naruto just wasn't himself. There was no cheeriness or mirth to what was usually an energetic boy. In its place was a listless person full of hopeless regret and resentment. He couldn't take his mind off of Sasuke and their...kiss...if that's what it even was. He had kissed girls before, he had kissed several girls but that was it. The blond felt nothing for them and didn't think anymore of it after it had happened. But with Sasuke, it was different. He wanted to see him, to apologize, forget it and start over. But deep down, Naruto understood his feelings and that he couldn't see the raven haired teen as just another friend. He felt too much for that.

Iruka immediately noticed the change. The blond spent most of his time up in his room when he got home from school or from work where he would usually be in the kitchen or in front of the TV. Sasuke hadn't been around all week and Naruto refused to talk about what had happened between them. He would tell Iruka when he thought it over, Iruka was sure he would.

Two weeks and four days had passed after the incident and Naruto was sat on his front porch with Sakura. His hazy blue eyes stared unconsciously at the house opposite despite knowing no one was home. Itachi was at work and he had seen Sasuke leave in the direction of town a few hours prior just as Sakura had knocked on his door. It was raining again, raining hard but the air was thick with a sticky hot humidity that left static in girls pink hair and made Naruto laugh for the first time in over two weeks. He could always count on his best friend to cheer him up.

They sat under the awning in their usual positions, Sakura a step or two higher than the blond and both leaning back against the banister. The rain missed the girl but still managed to reach Naruto who didn't seem to mind that he was slowly soaking through. His blond spikes drooped, some sticking to his face while the others fell limp with the moisture and made him look as lethargic and miserable as he surely felt. At least Sakura was there to ease his weariness. She didn't try to coax any reasoning from him, she knew she'd get no true answer and Naruto was endlessly grateful for her silent understanding.

"You look hungry, how about some proper ramen?" Sakura asked with a friendly smile. "And maybe a hot drink too?"

"Proper ramen, as in, you'll make it?" his face lit up at the notion and the girl nodded in response with a chuckle of amusement. Naruto could be so easy to please sometimes but it was that lack of complication which made their relationship painless. Sakura bopped him on the head when she stood up before disappearing into the house leaving the door open. The blond would follow in afterwards in his own time and she knew that perfectly well.

Tired blue eyes slowly came to a close and Naruto felt his head drooping forward while he slouched back more comfortably against the banister. Rainy days like this just made him want to sleep and dream the hours away. But he knew if he slipped into unconsciousness he would only be thinking of Sasuke and his delicious unresponsive lips. In many of his recent day dreams, Naruto imagined it all going so differently. He pondered over the outcomes of what could have happened. What could it have felt like if Sasuke had kissed him back? A chill ran down his spine at the thought. All he could picture clearly was the complete bewilderment of the dark haired teen the last time they had been together. No wonder he was avoiding Naruto; what an outrageous and inappropriate response to being told his friends parents had passed away. The blond groaned at his own stupidity. He could be socially oblivious at times but that was a new one, even for him.

Expelling a dejected sigh, Naruto pushed his head back against the banister with his eyes still clamped shut. He couldn't think of a way to undo what he had done. Did sorry even cut it? He wasn't too sure.

"Naruto?" his name was spoken like it was it's own question. The voice was deep, a little hoarse and definitely not Sakura. Naruto's eyes fluttered open and widened in astonishment as he gazed up into the dark-depths of almost black irises. He didn't know what to say, his voice betrayed him and he could think of nothing suitable to convey just how sorry he was to boy stood before him. Where would he start to explain himself? The constant patter of the rain was the only sound to fill the space between them as both boys tried to figure out what they wanted—no, needed to say.

"Can we talk?" Sasuke asked in such a hushed tone it was almost a whisper. His eyes looked hopeful and scared all at the same time. He looked vulnerable again and Naruto fought the urge to reach out to him as he stood up in answer to the boy. He gestured for Sasuke to follow and lead the way into the house and up the stairs to his bedroom while Sakura was momentarily forgotten in the kitchen below.

Naruto leant back against the door after closing it while Sasuke stood a few paces away with his back to him. The boy was soaked! But then again, he was too. Naruto's curious blue eyes roamed selfishly over the dark haired teen taking in every inch of him; from the way his wet shirt clung to his torso and curved around his shoulder blades to the droplets of water falling from the spikes of his hair. It was unbearable. The blond pushed himself harder against the door to keep from creating another brainless disaster. Sasuke had something to say and he sure as hell was going to listen.

His body was tense, Naruto noticed. He could see the ridged set of the boy's shoulders and feel the anxiety oozing from his form. But he still waited. Sasuke could take all the time he needed, he could take forever for all the blond was concerned.

The minutes ticket by before the dark haired boy had turned to him and his eyes focused in on surprisingly calm ocean blue. He didn't know what he expected; he had meant to ask questions, to explain what was on his mind but he could only really think of one way to express his thoughts in that moment and he was terrified—absolutely terrified.

Sasuke took the few steps forward to close the gap between them both, his chest hitting Naruto's with slightly more vigour than originally intended. The blonds back slammed a little harder into the door causing a loud thud and a quiet gasp that was quickly lost to Sasuke's lips as he kissed him with force.

Shock didn't even register in Naruto's mind before he was kissing him back with all the passion and desire he had harboured for the boy in the past few weeks. There was _nothing_ gentle about it. Sasuke's arm hit the door beside the blond's head causing another loud thud; he inclined his head a little to one side and Naruto wasted no time in threading his fingers into dark damp locks of hair while brushing his tongue against the other's lips. He had day dreamed about this, but it was actually happening and it was a hundred times more fire than he could have imagined. His body was hot in comparison to the coldness of Sasuke every time an inch of their skin touched. It toyed with his nerves and drove him mad all in an instant and suddenly, the dark haired boy couldn't be close enough.

Sasuke's knee hit the door between Naruto's legs and the blond was all too aware of the thigh pressed against him and the intense friction it created. It was _torture_; a delightful torture which broke his concentration and had him breaking off from the kiss with a heady moan. Naruto threw a hand to face in embarrassment of the sound and tried to suppress another when Sasuke's lips moved to his neck with just as much force. A pale hand gripped at his wrist and dragged it away from his face to pin it against the door.

"Don't hide it." Sasuke all but whispered against the base of the blond's throat and the low husky tone sent a chill running down Naruto's spine. His mind was racing—this didn't add up but he didn't care in that moment and he definitely didn't care when he felt cold fingers pulling lose the buttons of his shirt. This was _insane_! Completely unimaginable and beyond what he had dreamed only days before.

The cold hand slid beneath the dampness of his shirt and pressed to his chest causing Naruto's breath to hitch. His pulse raced under his skin and he no longer tried to stop the inevitable moan which followed when he felt the pressure against his neck. That would surely leave a mark but he couldn't find it in himself to care.

The door handle clicked and the door pushed open with more force than was probably necessary causing Naruto to lose his footing. He fell forward before he could stop himself taking Sasuke with him until the pale teen's back hit the floor. Panic, shock and excuses flooded both boys as they both stared up at a wide eyed Sakura and shouted at the same time—

"It's not what it looks like!" Naruto's face was bright red and full of mortification.

"It's completely what it looks like." Sasuke's face flushed a soft pink but he wore a smirk of defiance which had the rooms other two occupants staring at him in accusation.

Sakura took in the sight before her trying to decide exactly what this _did_ look like.

Sasuke was laid out on his back with the blond kneeling above him with a knee between his legs. Both boys hair and clothes were in a state of total disarray to a point where Naruto's shirt hung loose and had slipped off of one shoulder. It was then that Sakura noticed the darkening red mark at the base of the tanned boy's neck and her eyes grew wider in total shock.

"Oh my god!" her hands flew up to cover her face and she turned her back on them both.

Naruto jumped up to his feet and raced over to his best friend at the same time as trying to re-button his shirt.

"Sakura, I—he—and—" what the hell should he say?

The girl spun around to face the blond again and placed her hands on his shoulders with a wide grin. Naruto was taken back, he hadn't been expecting that reaction.

"I knew it." Was all she said as she beamed at him then looked down towards Sasuke who had yet to move an inch. He still bore the same smirk as he returned her gaze.

The front door downstairs closed with a bang and all three sets of eyes widened in horror. What was the time?

"Naruto!" Iruka called from the kitchen.

Naruto stared at Sakura, the girl stared right back. After a moment to collect themselves, they both raced down the stairs and tried to feign indifference and innocence. Sasuke followed shortly after, smoothing his hair out with his fingers in an attempt to make himself look more presentable.

The blond took no such measures as he came to stand before Iruka looking as ravished as he was. In his rush to do up his shirt he had missed a few buttons leaving it as lopsided and messy as his hair. He really wasn't the picture of innocence.

Iruka looked from Naruto to Sakura, then back to Naruto when he noticed the mark on his neck. He looked back to the pink haired girl and was about to ask an awkward question but felt it was answered when a cool looking Sasuke pushed through the door. He stood with his hands in his pockets and a tug of a smile on his kiss swollen lips which he tried nothing to hide. He looked every bit as pleased with himself as he probably was.

The brunette wasn't surprised to see Sasuke back in the house, and from the look of things, the boys had definitely made up.

"Looks like Kakashi wins that bet." Was all Iruka said before turning to serve up the ramen he noticed Sakura must have made.

0o0o0o0

Later that evening Sasuke sat with Naruto in his room. Sakura had left an hour before with nothing but the biggest grin and promising to let them have some time alone. Apparently, she was 100% on board with the events of that afternoon. Iruka hadn't questioned them either as they all sat eating dinner and Naruto praised the gods because he had no idea how the hell he could explain anything without dying of embarrassment first. But that left them in their current situation with questions that needed answering.

"So...are we friends again?" Naruto asked, not really thinking about the 'friend' part and what that meant. He sat on the edge of his bed beside Sasuke with his hands resting to his sides.

The raven haired boy laughed, and the blond couldn't help but smile at the new genuine sound.

"Moron...friends you ask?" Sasuke smirked. "I gave you a hickey and made you _moan._.. and you ask if we are friends?"

Naruto's cheeks flushed and he fell silent.

"If that's how you act with your friends, we need to discuss boundaries."

"No-no! I mean.." Naruto stumbled over words trying to find what he meant to say but failed miserably when Sasuke claimed his lips once more. It was short lived and the dark haired boy pulled away too soon leaving Naruto pouting and feeling cheated.

"Hey, I have to get home or Itachi will start wondering where I am." Sasuke rose to his feet and turned to look down at the blond. "You might want to think of a way to hide that," he mentioned, lightly tracing his fingers over the forming bruise on the blond's neck.

Naruto grinned and shook his head in defiance.

"Nah, I think I'll leave it and make the girls jealous." He gave a smirk of his own and locked his eyes to the other males while leaning into his touch.

Sasuke's eyebrows arched in question and he moved his fingers from the boy's neck to lightly grip his shoulder. The mesmerizing blue of Naruto's eyes was hard to break away from and he found himself bound where he stood.

"I really should go before I keep you up all night." Sasuke grinned and the double entendre wasn't lost on either male. The blond's face flushed a shade darker as his imagination got the better of him. He didn't mind if Sasuke kept him up all night—really.

"See you tomorrow, moron."

"You're such a bastard."

Sasuke closed the door gently behind him when he left and Naruto was alone with his thoughts and a chance to reflect on the bizarre and unexpected direction the day had taken. Well fuck! What a result!

His phone vibrated on his bedside table and he picked it up to read the message.

_You and Sasuke? LUCKY! Phone me when he's gone, I have to know everything. EV-ERY-THING. Even the dirty parts. NO! Especially the dirty parts. Call me. Love Sakura xxx_

Naruto located Sakura in his contacts and reluctantly hit the call button. He had resigned himself to his fate.

Gahhh, that was longer than planned. Over 10k? Oops. And there is still so much I wanted to elaborate on. The aim was 5k for this one shot :/

Anyways! If you want to review/comment or say a random word to make me laugh, please do as I am always much obliged to giggle when reading them.

Am back to writing Incipient now as was planned a long time ago in a galaxy far far away. Or something like that =D MUCH LOVE! xxx


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